Sadistic North-east killer who carved swastikas on victim to be freed from prison

Stephen Ling who was jailed for life in 1998 for the murder of Joanne Tulip
-Credit: (Image: No credit)


Sadistic murderer Stephen Ling is poised for release from prison after over a quarter of a century behind bars.

He was convicted for the gruesome killing of Joanne Tulip on Christmas Day, subjecting her to brutal violence at his home in Stamfordham, Northumberland. His 29 year old victim was raped and stabbed 60 times in 1997, with Ling even etching swastikas and crosses into her flesh.

Despite warnings that Ling still presents a risk of inflicting serious harm on others, the Parole Board has deemed him safe for release and has directed his liberation from incarceration. Joanne's mother, Doreen Soulsby, has expressed horror at the decision. She shared with us her deep-seated concern that Ling may perpetrate another crime.

Doreen stated: "I'm disgusted, it's unbelievable, it doesn't make sense. I'm terrified he could strike again, it's just the way he's wired. I would just say to people, 'lock up your daughters'," reports Chronicle Live.

The Parole Board was presented with the gruesome details of Joanne's murder during a hearing in July. Ling encountered his victim at a pub on Christmas Eve and, after consuming a significant amount of alcohol, he arrived at her temporary residence in the early hours of Christmas Day.

The murderer lured Joanne to his home under the pretence of a party. However, upon arrival, he assaulted her, procured a knife and sexually assaulted her.

During or immediately following the assault, Ling stabbed Joanne and attempted to suffocate her. When the initial knife broke, he retrieved another and continued his onslaught until she died.

Ling absconded from the scene but confessed to Joanne's murder when he was apprehended for a suspected traffic violation a few hours later. The then 23-year-old received a life sentence after admitting to the murder. He was initially given a minimum prison term of 20 years, which was subsequently reduced to 18 following an appeal.

The sexual assault charge was left on file, meaning Ling is not officially a convicted sex offender and will not be listed on the Sex Offenders' Register upon his release. This marked Ling's fifth review by the Parole Board. In both 2020 and 2022, the board recommended his transfer to an open prison, but this was twice vetoed by the Secretary of State for Justice.

The two-day parole review hearing revealed that Ling's "risk factors" included an obsession with sex and warped attitudes towards it. The parole board acknowledged Ling's anger issues towards women but heard of his "exemplary" behaviour and rehabilitative efforts made during his time in custody. The Community Offender Manager still deemed Ling a high-risk individual, suggesting that no amount of prison reform would change this status until he was tested outside the penal system.

Despite this, after reviewing all evidence, the panel determined that Ling presented only a medium risk of causing serious harm, proposing that those supervising him could intervene should risk levels escalate to a point where others might be harmed. Upon assessing Ling's criminal past, transformation in prison, and the proposed risk management plan upon release, the board decided it was safe to discharge him, given he complied with supervision and licencing conditions.

However, Doreen the mother of the woman Ling killed remains convinced he will always pose a threat to women. "What's he going to do when he's out in the community and goes into a pub," she questioned. "He's not going to be able to resist a pretty girl after all these years.

"He needs keeping in. I don't care how much work they have done with him."

Haunted by her loss, the ever-grieving mother wants to raise the alarm about Lings imminent release, aiming to protect other families from the pain hers has suffered. "It's broken our family," she expressed. "I have never been able to have a family Christmas with my family. It's always there, it never goes away, you just get better at living with it.

"I wouldn't want anyone else to go through that. I just want people to be aware that he's getting out. I'm just so terrified that he will do it again. He needs to be kept in so he can't do it again."

A representative for the Parole Board confirmed Ling's release had been directed, stating that public safety was their top concern. "We can confirm that a three-member panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Steven Ling following a public hearing held in July 2024," he stated.

"Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community. A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims. Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead up to an oral hearing.

"Evidence from witnesses such as probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements may be given at the hearing. It is standard for the prisoner and witnesses to be questioned at length during the hearing, which for this case took two days.

"Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority."

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